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IMDbPro

The Wrong Arm of the Law

  • 19631963
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
27,181
14,785
The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
ComedyCrime
In London, when Australian gangsters disguised as "Bobbies" rob British criminals, the panicked British mobsters seek an alliance with Scotland Yard in order to eliminate the foreign competi... Read allIn London, when Australian gangsters disguised as "Bobbies" rob British criminals, the panicked British mobsters seek an alliance with Scotland Yard in order to eliminate the foreign competition and return things to "normal".In London, when Australian gangsters disguised as "Bobbies" rob British criminals, the panicked British mobsters seek an alliance with Scotland Yard in order to eliminate the foreign competition and return things to "normal".
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
27,181
14,785
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Cliff Owen
    • Writers
      • Ray Galton
      • Alan Simpson
      • John Antrobus
    • Stars
      • Peter Sellers
      • Lionel Jeffries
      • Bernard Cribbins
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Cliff Owen
    • Writers
      • Ray Galton
      • Alan Simpson
      • John Antrobus
    • Stars
      • Peter Sellers
      • Lionel Jeffries
      • Bernard Cribbins
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 36User reviews
    • 20Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos18

    The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    Peter Sellers and Nanette Newman in The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    Peter Sellers and Nanette Newman in The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    Peter Sellers in Never Let Go (1960)
    Peter Sellers in The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    Peter Sellers in The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    Lionel Jeffries in The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    Lionel Jeffries, Davy Kaye, and Graham Stark in The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
    The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Peter Sellers
    Peter Sellers
    • Pearly Gates
    Lionel Jeffries
    Lionel Jeffries
    • Inspector Parker
    Bernard Cribbins
    Bernard Cribbins
    • Nervous O'Toole
    Davy Kaye
    • Trainer King
    Nanette Newman
    Nanette Newman
    • Valerie
    Bill Kerr
    Bill Kerr
    • Jack Coombes
    Ed Devereaux
    Ed Devereaux
    • Bluey May
    Reg Lye
    Reg Lye
    • Reg Denton
    John Le Mesurier
    John Le Mesurier
    • Assistant Commissioner
    Graham Stark
    Graham Stark
    • Sid Cooper
    Martin Boddey
    Martin Boddey
    • Superintendent Forest
    Irene Browne
    Irene Browne
    • Dowager
    Arthur Mullard
    Arthur Mullard
    • Brassknuckles
    Dermot Kelly
    • Misery Martin
    Vanda Godsell
    Vanda Godsell
    • Annette
    Tutte Lemkow
    Tutte Lemkow
    • Siggy Schmoltz
    Barry Keegan
    Barry Keegan
    • Alf
    Michael Caine
    Michael Caine
    • Police Station PC
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Cliff Owen
    • Writers
      • Ray Galton
      • Alan Simpson
      • John Antrobus
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In the police station on "no crime" night, one of the cops can be seen reading a comic book based on the U.S. television show Car 54, Where Are You? (1961). Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne can be seen on the cover.
    • Goofs
      In the first bank robbery, the robbers drive away from the bank, but in the next shot they are seen approaching the bank again from the opposite direction as the IPO mob divert them down a side street where they are lined up against a wall directly opposite the bank.

      The first shop they pass after leaving the bank is an International Stuffs shop. The next shop has an awning pulled down from a higher level than the International Stuffs shop. It also has an arched opening just above the awning. When the IPO divert them down a side street, they are again in front of an International Stuffs shop, but the next shop has a smaller awning, a name sign above it and no arched opening above that (a different facade altogether), and thus, not the same location. No other buildings are shown in full, so it cannot be assumed that they are in the same location simply based on one shop being the same. As it is called International, however, it can be assumed that there are more than one, particularly a fictitious one. And, as stated before, the shop next door is entirely different.
    • Quotes

      Jack Coombes: They shipped enough crooks out to Australia. It's about time they had a few back here!

    • Connections
      Featured in John Le Mesurier: It's All Been Rather Lovely (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Oh Charley, Take It Away
      (uncredited)

      Written by Arthur Le Clerq, Frederick Malcolm and Elvin Hedges

    User reviews36

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Maybe a classic...
    Peter Sellers is, unusually, the quiet at the center of the storm that makes up the plot of this wonderfully funny film. He plays Pearly Gates, a criminal (and women's wear salesman), who learns that an Australian gang is dressing up as policemen, intercepting Pearly's mob in mid-theft and making off with the goods. He joins forces not only with the leader of a rival gang, who are also suffering from the Australian competition, but also with the police, who don't want their reputation besmirched.

    Sellers is very good, but top acting honors go to Lionel Jefferies as the hopelessly idiotic policeman trying to prove himself by catching the criminals. Jefferies and Bernard Cribbins, as Nervous (the rival gang's leader), give expertly larger-than-life performances while getting their biggest laughs with throwaway lines and subtle bits of business (like Nervous finishing up his negotiations with Pearly by pulling out some family snaps). Cliff Owen's direction is very sharp and very fast, and allows a cast of experienced character actors to do their best work. Dennis Price displays flawless timing and delivery in a small, unbilled cameo. This film might just be a hidden classic.
    helpful•17
    2
    • david-frieze
    • Apr 15, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 29, 1963 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Pogrešna ruka zakona
    • Filming locations
      • Cowley Mill Road, Uxbridge, Greater London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Robert Velaise Productions
      • Romulus Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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